An Unexpected Christmas
by Akatsuki Child
Summary: Nico wasn't sure how exactly he envisioned spending Christmas day, but he didn't think it'd be in the camp's hospital. Solangelo Christmas. Merry belated Christmas!
1. Part 1

**An Unexpected Christmas**

Nico wasn't sure how exactly he envisioned spending Christmas day, but he didn't think it'd be in the camp's hospital.

It started two days after the Winter Solstice. There weren't very many people at camp to begin with, considering many kids were off in the cities for school. Besides that, a lot of them were on winter break and would be visiting their families for the holidays—such as the case with Annabeth and Percy. According to Annabeth, who had come to visit Nico three days earlier, they would spend the week in Manhattan with Sally Jackson and her husband and then take Blackjack out to California to visit her dad and half-siblings.

Nico was glad they were getting along and things were going well for them. He wasn't jealous or anything. His feelings for Percy had morphed into feelings of friendship and almost indifference. Nico knew he had idolized Percy, as if he were a celebrity or a _god_. But there was a gap between them—age, experience, family issues—that would prevent them from ever being more than friends. Oddly enough, Nico was okay with that.

Maybe that had something to do with the presence of Will Solace in Nico's life.

Ever since meeting him at the battle against Gaea, Will had been in and out of Nico's life. Sometimes he was adamant and demanding that Nico join him for lunch or spend the day with him at the beach (that was a whole other story for another time). At other times, days would pass without a word from the Solace boy.

Nico rather enjoyed Will's company, even though he'd never told him that. He was beginning to have deep feelings for Will, and that's what scared him the most. When Nico was with Will, his stomach would flutter with butterflies and he'd feel like he was looking at the world with a clear, sharp focus. He felt warm and comforted, but at the same time, he felt on fire. In contrast, their time spent apart left Nico feeling cold and especially lonely, a feeling he'd had his whole life. He was familiar with it, but yet somehow now that sense of loneliness was ten times worse when he was away.

So, yes, Nico conceded that he held feelings for Will, but he was _not_ going to tell Will that.

A part of him was afraid that Will would reject him. If that happened, he wasn't sure he could stay at Camp Half-Blood. He didn't want things to change between them. But along with that, Nico wasn't sure he could trust his feelings. Yes, he was more or less over Percy, but that didn't mean it didn't hurt. He had spent the last two years pining after a guy that was clearly in a relationship with a woman he loved. Everyday had been agonizing. He found it too good to be true that he would find someone within his reach, someone that actually wanted to be with him just as much.

He desperately wanted to believe it was true—that someone could truly crave his company and accept him, faults and all. But Nico had spent the last years mostly in solitude, drowning in his loneliness, fated to be an outcast. He had grown up believing that he would always be alone.

* * *

><p>Currently, the camp held no more than sixty demigods. As mentioned, most of the demigods had traveled back to their respective homes to see their families over the holidays.<p>

Nico, of course, was one of those that remained at camp. He supposed he could have travelled to California to see Reyna, Frank, and Hazel, but he figured Frank and Hazel would spend the day together, and Reyna most likely would be bogged down with keeping Camp Jupiter up and running. Besides, he didn't want to bother them and he wasn't feeling up to shadow travelling.

(If he were being 100% honest with himself, he would admit that he wanted to stay at camp in case Will wanted to spend time with him.)

Jason and Piper had taken a flight to see Piper's dad, and apparently Jason had been pretty nervous about it. Jason had showed up at Nico's cabin late at night a week ago, informing him of the events about to take place. Jason seemed nervous to officially meet Mr. McLean, forgetting the fact that the man was a fairly famous actor that spent most of his time with his personal assistant, working on his next movie.

Nico had to sit through two hours of listening to Jason rant continuously about the same thing, all the while reassuring him that things would go smoothly, it was no big deal, be yourself, etc.

The dark-haired boy rolled his eyes at the memory. He could honestly and proudly say that Jason was his best friend. Ever since he had found out about Nico's feelings for Percy, he'd been nothing but supportive. He seemed genuinely interested in spending time with Nico and getting to know him. Nico appreciated that. The kid was goofy—_and goofy-looking with his glasses now_, Nico thought sarcastically—but maybe Nico needed some goofiness in his life.

Nico sighed, shrugging on his black wool coat. It was December 23rd. As was custom every Winter Solstice, his father was allowed to reside on Mt. Olympus. This year, his father had requested a meeting—today—at a coffee shop in Manhattan, of all places. Nico wasn't exactly sure what was going on, but he assumed it wasn't anything good if his father wanted to speak to him in person.

He stepped outside into the frigid air, a light layer of snow dusting the ground. He shut the cabin door behind him—wiggling the handle in order to make sure it clicked, a problem he'd have to fix when he redecorated—and took approximately four and a half steps before stopping in his tracks.

He turned around slowly, staring up in a cross between horror and confusion at the Christmas lights strung up on the ledge of his cabin's roof. The bright blues and reds and greens contrasted sharply against the cabin's black and silver paint.

He blinked once. He blinked twice.

A feeling of irritation began building inside him. His eyes narrowed as he scrutinized his living quarters. After a minute, he noticed a white note taped to the front door, a note he'd missed when first leaving.

Nico stomped up to the door and tore it off, nearly ripping it in half. He unfolded the notebook paper and instantly recognized the handwriting, his heart skipping a beat.

_Nico,_

_I'm sorry, but I cannot continue to let your cabin be Scrooge amongst the Christmas decorations. I'm doing this for your own good. _

_-W. Solace_

Nico snorted at the smiley face placed inside a sun written beside Will's name.

_P.S. I spent my precious time late last night putting them up—by myself, mind you—so don't you DARE take them down._

Nico's eye twitched as he crumpled up the piece of paper, shoving it in his back pants pocket. He would just make one stop before heading to Manhattan.

* * *

><p>"You put Christmas lights on my cabin."<p>

Will rolled his eyes. "Well, hello to you, too," he replied sarcastically. "Also, you can't be in here."

Nico ignored him along with the kid Will was stitching up. They were in the Big House's "hospital," which was really just a couple spare bedrooms and a storage room. Will was sewing up a gash a kid had gotten from slipping on some ice, nearly taking his arm off with his own sword.

The blonde-haired medic was sitting on a stool while the kid's arm rested on the bed beside him. Next to Will was a tray with gauze, nectar and ambrosia, sutures, and a few other items needed to stitch up the wound.

Nico unconsciously did a once-over of his friend. He was wearing jeans, sneakers, and a green and gray plaid button-down. His hair was slightly wind-tousled, but his bright blue eyes bore into Nico's, temporarily forgetting about the patient before him.

Nico ignored his pounding heart. He retrieved the torn note from his back pocket and held it up. "You know you could have just asked."

Will gave him a patronizing look. "Would you have said yes?"

The dark-haired boy narrowed his eyes, biting his lip in growing irritation.

Will smirked. "Didn't think so." He turned back to his patient—a kid of Hermes—who had been watching the two with amusement.

Nico huffed, but Will continued on. "I wasn't trying to make you mad. I was just trying to bring some cheer to your dreary cabin." He made it sound as if he had done Nico this huge favor. "I think you can handle them for a few days. I promise I'll take them down the day after Christmas."

Nico didn't appreciate Will's sarcastic tone, but he just muttered, "You better."

Will bit his lip to keep from smiling. Nico gave him one last glare before turning on his heel to stalk out of the small room. Will's joking demeanor dropped as he called, "Hey! Hold up a minute!"

The Hades kid stopped, raising an inquisitive brow. "Yeah?"

"Want to have lunch together?" Will asked seriously.

A flutter deep in Nico's stomach. "I wish I could, but I have to go to into the city."

Will's brow furrowed in confusion. Nico watched with a grimace when he pulled the needle through the kids skin, finishing the suture. He wasn't squeamish about needles or surgeries or anything like that, but more of how calmly and quickly Will was running through the procedure.

"Why do you have to go there?" Will asked, honestly curious.

Nico shifted in his stance. He chewed on his bottom lip. He clenched and unclenched his hands. "My, uh, dad wants to talk to me."

Will paused, frowning. He gave Nico a worried look, scanning his face. After a few seconds, he returned to the project at hand, finishing the last suture.

"Do you know why? Or what he wants?"

Nico shrugged. "I honestly have no idea."

Will hummed in response. A minute passed in silence in which Will finished stitching up the Hermes kid. He gave the kid one last drink of nectar before standing up with a promise to return shortly. Will peeled off the white latex gloves he was wearing and threw them in the trash before walking over to Nico. He gestured to the hallway and they stepped out of the doorway, facing each other.

They were nearly the same height, give or take an inch. They were standing a foot apart. Nico had his hands shoved his jean pockets, trying desperately to calm his frantically beating heart. Will was looking at him with concern and worry apparent in his bue eyes.

"Are you going to be okay?" Will asked. "I mean, if you want me to come…"

Nico's jaw dropped open in shock and awe. That was the last thing he expected to hear. Nevertheless, it sent a warm feeling through his chest down to his toes.

"Y-yeah," Nico stuttered. "I mean, no—I'll be okay. I'm not worried about my father. More about what he wants to talk about."

Will studied the dark-haired boy's face for a few seconds before giving a small sigh and a faint nod. "Well…if you're sure. But if something goes wrong, promise you'll tell me."

Nico deadpanned, "Pinky promise."

Will grinned, showing off his white, straight teeth. The smile caused Nico's heart to skip a beat, his face heating up in response.

Nico nodded and was going to leave but Will grasped Nico's wrist, stopping him. Nico looked at him expectantly.

"Good luck," Will said, giving a more-subdued smile. "And _please_ be careful."

Nico gave a wry, crooked smile in return. "Trouble usually finds me no matter what."

Will grimaced. "That's not comforting."

The dark-haired boy rolled his eyes. "I'll be fine, Will."

Will sighed and finally let go of Nico after a few seconds. Nico gave him one last reassuring smile before turning his back on the blonde and stalking out the Big House front door. While Nico, face flushed with embarrassment, was still trying to calm down his heart, Will looked on his retreating form, a small, warm smile etched on his face.

* * *

><p>The coffee shop Nico walked into was dimly lit and looked more like a popular poetry recital venue than a place for Starbucks. Perhaps his father found some comfort in the dim lights and low hum of voices hidden under the soft jazz emitting from speakers throughout the room. Or maybe Hades had a secret love for coffee.<p>

Whatever the reason, Nico was a bit surprised about his father's choice. He was even more surprised to find that his father was already there, seated in the farthest corner of the room with his back to the wall.

Nico approached the table apprehensively, eyes darting over his father's frame slouching in the dark booth. His black hair was slicked back and he was dressed impeccably in his dark suit and dress shoes.

Two drinks were already on the table, steam rising steadily from them. Hades ran a thin, pale finger along the rim of his glass. With dark eyes he glanced up at his son, who was standing awkwardly before the table, uneasy and unsure about sitting down.

Hades raised a single brow. "Are you going to stand there the whole time or are you going to take a seat?" he asked flatly, gesturing to the opposite side of the booth.

Nico's face flushed in embarrassment and he quickly slid into the booth. His gaze slid from the tabletop to the painting on the wall to his father's face. He was unsure of this whole situation.

"I bought you black coffee," Hades announced. "I wasn't sure what you liked."

"That's…totally fine," Nico replied hesitantly. Truth be told, he wasn't one for coffee. He found it odd that Hades would even think of buying anything at all.

It was true that Nico and Hades were close as far as relationships went among demigods and their godly parent. Things had been rough between them in the beginning, but the wars had brought them closer together. Nevertheless, it wasn't a stable relationship by any means. Hades still made Nico nervous, if only because he was always afraid his father was using him for some higher purpose. Gods didn't normally have personal relationships with their children, as sad as that sounded, so it was unusual for the two to be as close as they were—which wasn't very close to begin with.

A silence stretched between them in which Hades sipped his coffee and Nico shifted awkwardly in his seat. Finally, after another minute, Nico spoke up.

"Uh, Dad?" he started slowly. "Not to be rude, but was there a reason you wanted to meet with me?"

"Ah," Hades replied, as if he'd suddenly just remembered. "There was." He set his coffee down gingerly and sat up straighter, folding his hands on the table. "I was actually hoping you could do a favor for me…"

Alarm bells went off in Nico's head. For one thing, it was never a good sign when a god started a sentence with those words. Secondly, it was never _ever_ a good sign when said god was Hades.

A double whammy for Nico. And it's not like he could deny his father's request.

Nico grimaced as his father continued on. "You see, there was a breach in the Fields of Asphodel earlier this week—it's been exceptionally crowded lately—" Nico only barely caught onto his father's dry sarcasm, "and a few spirits escaped into the living realm."

"Let me guess," Nico cut in. "They're in New York."

Hades gave a light shrug. "I'm not sure how they ended up _here_, but they did. There are only two or three of them. I need you to get them for me."

No, _Please_. No, _Are you free this Saturday to pick up some ghosts for me? No? Well thanks anyways. _Just, _Do this. Do it now._

Nico crossed his arms. "Okay. I can do that. But if I may ask, why not just get them yourself?"

Hades raised a brow. "Do you really think I dress in suits all the time?" he asked sarcastically, gesturing to his attire. "My wife is residing in the Underworld with me, as she normally would, but her mother is visiting this week."

Nico had to hide a smirk from the apparent grimace on his father's face. It was no secret that Hades and Demeter were at odds. Nico found a little amusement from his father's obvious discomfort with his sister. He didn't feel bad though, since he was only summoned here to clean up his father's messes.

The boy gave his father a cheeky smile. "Sounds fun."

Hades gave him a hard, sideways glance that clearly showed he did not think it "sounded fun." Hades grumbled and took a sip of coffee. "If I can be frank, I was going to have you accompany me this week." Nico's jaw opened in surprise. "However, I know Persephone is not particularly fond of my children, and I did not want to…have her angry with me."

Hades seemed as if he was going to say something else ("I did not want to put _you_ in that situation,") but changed his mind mid-sentence. He shifted in his seat, appearing uncomfortable. Nico hardly noticed this, though. He was still stuck on the fact that his father had thought about inviting him. It was probably a good thing he hadn't, though. Nico wasn't too fond of Demeter and Persephone, mostly because they treated him like some sort of bastard child.

"Anyways," Hades continued on. "It shouldn't be a problem. Just send them my way. Shouldn't take longer than a day."

Nico sighed, resigned to his fate. He nodded in understanding. Gods would always need demigods to do their dirty work. This was just another quest for Nico.

Nico ran a hand through his dark hair. "I have to head back to camp. I'll take care of your ghosts first thing tomorrow."

He slid out of the booth, but as he was standing up, Hades stopped him.

"Son…"

Nico waited, looking at his father expectantly. Hades seemed to be battling with himself, caught between doing what he wanted and what was expected of him. After a few seconds, Hades merely sighed.

"Have a good Christmas," he mumbled.

Nico bit the inside of his cheek. "You too, Dad."

* * *

><p>The night air was cold, but there was no wind blowing through so Nico didn't mind as much.<p>

There was a tree conveniently located next to his cabin that allowed him to climb onto the roof, where the dark-haired son of Hades currently resided, a blanket underneath him. His legs were pulled up to his chest as he stared up at the starry sky. His thoughts raced over the events of the day.

He was prepared for these ghosts that his father wanted him to find. He wasn't particularly worried about the task. He was used to doing these kinds of things, though normally his father just sent him a messenger or a note. Nico guessed Hades had taken the opportunity to get away from his family for a while. He didn't blame him.

Tomorrow was Christmas Eve. He would most likely be spending it fighting ghosts and then, just like every other year, he would spend Christmas day by himself. That was okay, though. He was used to it.

"You could catch a cold out here, you know."

Nico glanced down at the voice from below. Butterflies fluttered in his stomach as he caught sight of the blonde son of Apollo, standing below.

"Not me," Nico replied. "I have an immune system of steel."

"Yeah right. Liar."

Without another word, Will made his way around to the backside of the cabin. Nico heard snow falling to the ground and twigs snap as Will climbed the tree up to the roof. Nico unconsciously sat up straighter as Will carefully made his way beside Nico. He plopped down with a huff, slightly out of breath, and stretched his legs out.

They were so close, they were practically touching sides. Nico welcomed the warmth emitting from him as his heart pounded against his ribcage.

"Steel or no, I'm a doctor—" Nico snorted at this, "—and I'm telling you that anyone can get sick."

Nico gave him a sideways look. "I'm pretty sure it's illegal to do doctor's work without a doctor's license. What do they call that? Malpractice?"

Will ignored him. "It's pretty nice up here," he commented, taking in the sight.

Across from Nico's cabin was Percy's, and kitty-corner from their cabins was Jason's. From Nico's and Will's perspective, they could see the beach and New York Sound, frozen over from the winter cold. The forest spanned out to their right, dark and mysterious as always.

"I'm not a fan of winter," Will revealed, "but I love seeing the stars so clearly at night."

Nico smiled. "Me too. I guess I'm different from my father in that way."

Will remained silent. He glanced over at the boy beside him, taking in his pale features, so clearly revealed in the moonlight. His cheekbones were prominent but well-structured. His lips were parted slightly, his breaths coming out in small puffs of clouds. His lean, lithe frame was apparent even through his black coat.

Will always felt enamored and awed whenever he was with Nico. He was beautiful in his own way. There was an air of experience about him, but he seemed to carry his loneliness and heartaches on his shoulders. And even though Nico mostly kept to himself, it wasn't meant to be standoffish. It was merely all he knew for most of his life.

Will wanted to save Nico from that loneliness. He admired Nico and genuinely wanted to be with him. He felt strongly for the di Angelo boy—he was happier with Nico, but most importantly, he felt like himself. He didn't have to pretend to be someone else.

He'd had feelings for others before, but never to this extent. He liked Nico a lot, and even though it scared him shitless, he truly wanted to be with him.

So any time he could spend with Nico was cherished. Like tonight.

He leaned his shoulder against Nico's, feeling a pleasant chill run down his back at their contact. "Speaking of fathers…how did it go today?"

Nico was desperately fighting down his blush, trying to look nonchalant, as if he always spent nights on his cabin roof with his crush leaning against him.

He replied, "Okay, I guess. Just the usual. He wants me to find some ghosts that escaped and send them back to the Underworld."

There was a pause. "'The usual,' you say?" Will asked. "So this is a frequent occurrence?"

"Yes and no. When he talks to me, it's usually about retrieving spirits. But I guess we did talk about his wife and Demeter for a bit…"

"So when are you doing this?"

Nico sighed. "Tomorrow."

Will frowned. "Oh," he mumbled, disappointedly.

Now Nico frowned. "What?"

A shrug. "Well, if you're leaving tomorrow, I'm guessing you won't be back for Christmas."

Nico's brow furrowed. "I guess it depends on what the spirits are like. Why do you mention it?"

A light blush dusted Will's cheeks. "Um, well, I wanted to spend Christmas with you. I-if you wanted to, that is," Will quickly recovered, stuttering uncharacteristically as he flushed with embarrassment.

Nico's eyes widened in surprise. As the full weight of his words hit him, Nico blushed as well. "O-oh."

Nico glanced at Will from the corner of his eye. The blonde was still leaning against him, now sitting cross-legged. His hands, stuffed in some gray mittens, were grasping his knees. His blue eyes were staring up at the sky as he bit his bottom lip in worry.

The sentiment behind Will's words was not lost on Nico. He suddenly felt a burst of affection for Will and a nearly uncontrollable urge to hug him, but Nico held himself back. Barely.

Instead, he turned towards Will, meeting his gaze. He grasped the sleeve of Will's coat. "I-I'd like to spend Christmas with you. Even if I come back late. We can do something together to celebrate."

Will seemed genuinely surprised that Nico had accepted his invitation, but as the words sunk in, a large grin split across Will's face. He felt warmth spread through his chest as his heart rate sped up. Butterflies were flapping madly in his stomach as he gazed into Nico's dark eyes.

That smile did something funny to Nico. Adrenaline pumped through his body, causing his heart rate to quicken. His stomach twisted in knots and his throat suddenly dried up.

There was just something about Will's look of inexplicable happiness, his blue eyes bright as they reflected the moonlight. Nico swallowed thickly, his lips parting slightly as his gaze slid from Will's eyes to his lips.

A light, cool breeze blew between them, rustling their hair and breaking the spell. Nico sucked in a sharp breath and turned away from Will, his face red and hot with embarrassment.

Will was still grinning. His hands were shaking slightly as he pulled his knees to his chest, pressing against Nico's side once again.

Whatever had just passed between them moments earlier left the two of them with a warm, satisfied feeling. It seemed that, in that moment, an understanding passed between them. Their friendship was morphing into something stronger, something better.

A smile was etched on Nico's face as he and Will stared up at the sky, a comfortable silence stretching between them.

After a few minutes, Will spoke, "Seriously, though. We'll probably get sick if we stay up here."

* * *

><p>Nico woke up late the next day, but he would have slept longer if not for the incessant pounding on his door.<p>

"Nico! Please tell me you're in there!"

The boy in question groaned as he rolled off his bed and onto his feet. A glance at the clock told him that it was already early afternoon—the result of staying up until the early hours of the morning.

He quickly threw on some pants and a shirt as the knocking became more impatient and louder. Nico threw the door open to reveal Will Solace, who looked both worried and upset.

Nico blinked blearily into the bright light of the afternoon. "Gods, Will, what's wrong?" He blinked as he took in Will's attire. "Also, what the hell are you wearing?"

Will huffed, glancing down at his knitted red and green Christmas sweater with reindeer prancing around on it. "First of all, it was a gift from my dear mother, so don't you dare say anything bad about it. Second of all, I did not come here to discuss my clothes!"

Nico raised a brow at Will's steadily growing anger. "Sure, sure. So why are you here? And why are you knocking so loudly?"

Will glared. "I thought you had left without saying goodbye," he said simply. His voice tried to relay nonchalance but there was an undertone of hurt. "You didn't come to breakfast and you just missed lunch, so I figured you had left already, but then I talked to the patrol guards and they said they hadn't seen you. So I got worried." Will blushed.

Nico blinked at his story. He stared at Will for a second before a smile broke out on his face and he chuckled. He gave a fake cough to cover his laugh, causing Will to glare at him.

"It's not funny," Will insisted, crossing his arms across his chest.

Nico gave another chuckle. "A little bit." He smiled genuinely then. "You shouldn't worry, Will. This is basically a routine retrieval. A-and besides, I wouldn't leave without saying goodbye," he added on, stuttering.

Will frowned. "I know, but…it's in my nature to worry. I'd be more than happy to accompany you…?"

Nico shook his head. "It's not necessary. The hardest part is finding the ghosts. Everything else is for me to take care of." Nico gave him a reassuring smile. "You don't have to worry about me."

Will didn't seem happy with this answer. He turned to the side, grumbling under his breath. Finally, he muttered, "Fine. But I'm coming to see you off."

The dark-haired boy smirked. "Sure thing."

Will waited outside as Nico got ready. When the boy exited the cabin, he was dressed in dark jeans and a gray thermal, his black coat hanging open. His dark hair was still tousled from sleeping and he yawned loudly as the two began their walk to the top of Half-Blood Hill.

"So, your mother made that for you?" Nico asked conversationally, raising a brow at the sweater.

"Yup," Will replied happily. "She knew who Dad was and has been pretty supportive of the whole 'demigod' thing. She sends me things all the time."

Nico nodded. "Good. I'm happy for you." And that was the truth. Not all parents were supportive of their demigod children like Sally Jackson or Will's mom. Take Annabeth's dad, for example. Not that he was unsupportive, but he wasn't exactly welcoming either (though maybe that had something to do with his current wife).

"What about you?" Will asked apprehensively. "Is your mom…do you talk to her?"

In truth, Nico hardly remembered his mother, Maria di Angelo. He knew she was of Italian descent and that she too had dark hair, but that was about it. It was strange for Nico to think that he had been born decades earlier, but because of his time spent in that wretched casino, he hadn't aged a day until being let out.

To think, even though his body was only fifteen, he was technically more like fifty or sixty.

Nico bristled at the thought, grimacing. Ugh, that was creepy to think about.

"I never really knew her," Nico replied, pushing those disturbing thoughts out of his mind. "She died a long time ago."

"Oh," Will muttered. "Sorry."

"It's fine."

Nico wasn't sure if he should tell Will his true history. At least, not yet. He would see how much Will knew, but if his question were any indicator, Nico would guess he didn't know much.

The pair arrived at the top of Half-Blood Hill, near Thalia's tree. They could see the patrol guards strolling along the bottom of the hill, chattering back and forth.

Nico turned to Will. "Well, I'm off. If things go smoothly, I'll be back by morning."

Will grimaced. "'If things go smoothly'?"

Nico sighed. Will was seriously worrying about nothing. "I'll be fine. I'll be back before you know it."

He gave a two-fingered salute and took two steps before Will called his name.

"Nico…" he said, standing before the dark-haired boy. He was staring at the buttons on Nico's coat, biting his bottom lip. Nico sighed and was about to give him the whole spiel again about this being routine, everything would be fine, etc. However, before Nico could even blink, Will had his arms wrapped around his neck, holding him tightly.

Two heartbeats later and Nico's blank mind finally landed on a sole thought: _Will is hugging me._

He swallowed against the dryness in his throat and tried to calm his pounding heart as he returned the hug. His arms wound around Will's torso. It wasn't romantic or sensuous, but Nico felt safe and warm in Will's embrace. He hugged Will just a little bit closer.

"_Please_ be careful," Will mumbled, pulling back slightly to look into Nico's eyes.

In a sort of daze, Nico nodded. Will pulled back, waving as Nico turned around and descended Half-Blood Hill, a goofy smile on his face.

* * *

><p><strong>This was originally supposed to be a one-shot, but of course, it turned into something a little longer. I'll post the final installment either late tonight or sometime tomorrow. <strong>

**Thanks for reading and review please!**

**-AC**


	2. Part 2

**An Unexpected Christmas**

Nico should have seen it coming.

He had spotted the three ghosts in the middle of Manhattan late in the evening, causing trouble for mortals. They would knock over tables outside of cafes or push people in a large crowd. Nico even watched one of them squirt ketchup from a hot dog stand onto not only the customer, but the stand worker as well. They were really like tame poltergeists, which was just as annoying as full-fledged poltergeists.

Besides being dicks, they were also acting suspiciously. Whenever Nico would try to subtly open a fissure to send them back to the Underworld, they would float away, heading farther out of town, like they knew he was following them.

It was rather fishy.

By the time he caught them outside of the city in a deserted field—which should have been his second clue—it was already dark out and the temperature had dropped significantly. Nico was shivering slightly, his body trying to conserve its warmth. When he caught up to the ghosts, he was freezing and completely irritated. He really just wanted to head back to camp and snuggle up with Will—er, in his bed.

They appeared to be arguing about something, but when Nico approached them, they immediately clammed up and turned to him, glaring daggers at him.

"Di Angelo…" one of them hissed. "Son of Hades. You've been following us."

Nico scoffed. "Yeah, and I saw everything you did. You guys are total jerks."

"That was nothing. We'll be doing worse things as soon as we get rid of you."

He raised a brow. "Oh really? I don't think so. You three are going back where you belong."

Nico concentrated on the Underworld, picturing a door there and a hand reaching through to grab the ghosts. However, just as he felt the earth start to tremble, the hairs on the back of his neck rose. Before he could react, he felt a searing pain in his lower back. He leapt away and turned towards his assailant, stumbling as he landed and pain rippled through his body.

Nico faced the culprit, a demigod who appeared to be one or two years older than him, with dark hair and dark eyes. The kid was holding a long sword, a tinge of red marring the end of the blade. Nico hesitantly reached back and winced as he gingerly touched the wound. Blood covered his fingers. The cut didn't feel too deep, so he figured he could make it through this battle.

The ghosts were chuckling, though it was more of a weird clattering sound since their skeletons were apparent. It clicked in Nico's head, then, what was going on. This demigod, whoever he was, was working with these ghosts—perhaps he was even the mastermind behind the breach in the Underworld. The question was—

"Why are you doing this?" Nico called. He suddenly blinked hard, fighting away the fuzziness drifting into his vision. That wasn't a good sign.

"Nico di Angelo…" the kid replied, wiping his blade clean. "You may be a son of Hades, but there are things that even you don't understand. Just know that there are things bigger than yourself—bigger than all of us—about to happen. Unfortunately for you, you won't be around to experience them."

The kid lunged forward, his sword poised to strike. At the last second, Nico pulled his Stygian sword from his side and blocked the strike, gritting his teeth against his back wound. As he stepped back, he swayed on his feet, stumbling to the side a couple feet.

The stranger chuckled. "Good. The poison is working."

Nico's eyes widened. What the _hell_ was going on? Who was this kid? And what was he talking about? His father had been wrong—this was more than just a simple retrieval.

Unless…

Nico felt woozy as black spots began appearing in his vision. He needed to get out of here. The ghosts were grinning maliciously and he could feel a dark, murderous vibe coming from them. His attacker was slowly closing in, circling Nico with his sword raised apprehensively.

Nico shook his head, trying to keep it clear. If he passed out here, he would be dead within minutes. But he couldn't just let them go either.

He had an idea of what to do, but he knew that he would pass out for sure, and there was no telling if he'd actually make it to camp. But he had to try.

His course of action decided, Nico gathered his remaining strength and engaged in combat with the unknown demigod. He stumbled quite a bit and as a result, he received many cuts and almost got a sword run through his stomach (thankfully he'd had enough sense to throw himself to the side). His energy was depleting quickly. The edges of his vision were black and he was feeling woozy from blood loss. He could barely stand on his feet and his breaths were coming in shallow as the poison began taking full affect.

Some luck remained on Nico's side, though. He swung towards his assailant's shoulder. As predicted, he blocked it with his sword, but as he did this, Nico simultaneously grabbed hold of the kid's arm and summoned all of his remaining strength. He felt a tug in his gut as he attempted to shadow-travel back to camp.

As he and his attacker were swallowed by darkness, Nico felt his legs give out and his grip loosen as he fell unconscious.

* * *

><p>It's a good thing the patrol guards were on alert, otherwise Nico probably would have died that night of hypothermia.<p>

They found him half-buried in a pile of snow at the bottom of Half-Blood Hill, his sword lying about ten feet away from him. The snow around his lower back was stained red and ice was already forming in his hair.

There were two patrolmen tonight, both from Hephaestus cabin. Using some night-vision binoculars—created by themselves, of course—they were just able to catch Nico's body, hidden in the winter night.

Cursing, they rushed to his side. Of course, they immediately saw that he was injured.

"Go get Will—now!" one of them commanded. The second nodded and took off towards the Apollo cabin. The remaining kid brushed off as much snow as possible. He reached two fingers out to Nico's neck, feeling for a pulse.

"Shit," he cursed. It was there, but it was faint and sporadic. He shed off his coat and took of his jacket. He wrapped his jacket around the wound, tying it tight to stem the flow of blood. He then laid his heavy jacket over the di Angelo boy, shivering slightly at the rush of cool air against his skin.

Within minutes, the Hephaestus kid could hear footsteps approaching quickly. He looked up and saw Will Solace sprinting down the hill, dressed in plaid pajama pants and his winter coat.

"Nico!" Will called, slowing to halt as he approached the two. He fell to his knees and leaned over his friend, praying to his father in the back of his mind for help. As soon as he had heard the frantic knocking on his cabin door, his gut had dropped and his mind had gone into a frenzy. Now that his fears had been confirmed, he had to force himself into medic-mode to keep from totally losing it.

His hands shook as he did a quick scan of Nico's body, noting the back wound. He looked for his pulse, and, finding the same thing as the Hephaestus kid, he cursed.

"You _idiot_," Will mumbled. He felt his throat close up as tears clouded his vision. He quickly rubbed them away before turning to instruct the patrolmen. His voice shaking, he said, "We need to get him to the Big House right away."

Losing no time, one of the Hephaestus kids carefully loaded Nico onto his back, mindful of the injury. It was a good thing Nico was a lightweight, otherwise they would've had a hard time getting up the hill. The whole way up Will had his hand on Nico's shoulder, his mental prayer still running through his head.

Of course, when they entered the Big House, Chiron was there to meet them. But Will didn't pay him any attention. He let the patrolmen take care of that. Right now, his main concern was Nico.

Once Nico was placed on the bed and the patrolmen had left the room with a nod of support to Will, the medic wasted no time in gathering supplies to help his dear friend. Will couldn't allow himself to waste precious time that could be used to treat Nico, but even more, if Will were to stop now, he'd break down into a nervous, sobbing heap.

He should have gone with Nico. Ever since the di Angelo boy had informed him of his father's request, Will had had this sickening feeling in his stomach. He felt Nico had been too nonchalant about the whole thing, that he'd brushed it off too quickly. Will could have been there to help him, or at the very least, to cure him if he were to get injured.

Will could only guess that Nico had used his last bit of strength to shadow travel back to camp, which only made Will worry even more. Shadow travelling sucked a lot of energy from Nico—Will couldn't even fathom how he had had enough energy to return to camp with his injury and blood loss.

It just proved how strong Nico was and how little credit he was given.

All of this ran through Will's head as he gingerly turned Nico onto his right side in order to examine the back wound. Will silently apologized to Nico as he took a pair of scissors and cut open his shirt, revealing pale skin marred with streaks of dark red.

He was about to start his work on the wound, but something about it made him stop. The edges were unusually colored and the skin surrounding the wound was tinged yellow. Recognition dawned on him.

"_Shit_," he cursed. He felt his heart drop to his stomach as he switched gears, turning his efforts to cure the poison.

He needed to work quickly. He didn't know yet what kind of poison it was, and so he couldn't be sure if Nico…

He promptly shook his head, chasing those morbid thoughts from his mind. A thickness appeared in his throat and his eyes stung. He blinked to keep the tears at bay, forcing himself to focus on the task at hand.

_I _will _save him,_ he thought determinedly. _I will not let him die._

* * *

><p>The last thing Nico remembered was grabbing his attacker's arm and trying to shadow travel. He wasn't sure if he had made it. Heck, he wasn't exactly sure if he was alive right now. But if he were dead, he was sure his father would be here…<p>

Nico found himself on the beach shore at camp, the water frozen over. Only, he was pretty sure this was a dream. Or some weird between-life-and-death phase.

Suddenly, a man was standing beside him. Nico turned to fully look at him and felt his stomach drop.

His father.

"Oh crap," Nico muttered. "I am dead, aren't I? Will's going to be _so_ mad."

Hades raised a brow at his son. "No, Nico, you are not dead. And if that is Will Solace you are talking about, he actually just saved your life."

Nico's eyes widened. "_What?_"

Hades relayed what he knew to Nico. "You passed out halfway through shadow travelling with your attacker. Unfortunately, you lost grip with the kid and he was able to slip away, though I'm unsure of where he landed. To be honest, I'm surprised you made it back to camp. You must have really focused hard on it before passing out."

Nico was pretty sure he knew exactly what—or who—he'd been thinking of before going unconscious, but he wasn't about to tell his father that.

However, it was a bit suspicious how calmly he was discussing these events…And then it dawned on him.

"You knew about the rogue demigod, didn't you?" Nico accused, brow furrowing.

Hades sighed. "I…had my suspicions. There have been rumors of a demigod assisting in an overthrow in the Underworld, but I had to be sure."

Anger grew threw Nico. Without thinking, he lashed out. "And why didn't you tell me this? After all this time, do you really not trust me?!"

The lord of the Underworld didn't look pleased with this accusation. "More like I trust you too much," he grimaced. "If your attacker had caught wind that you knew, that you were on to him, he would have fled with those ghosts and we wouldn't have seen him again. I knew you would be able to handle whatever he had."

"Apparently only barely."

Hades nodded. "I did not anticipate he would poison you. Thankfully that medic of yours is truly gifted. He seemed awfully worried."

Nico blushed. "He's not my medic!" he blurted. "I mean, h-he's really the head of the hospital. Of course they would go to him for help…" He pressed his lips together to stop himself from rambling on like a _love struck idiot_.

Hades blinked. "Yes. Well, I will offer him my personal thanks." He turned to Nico, a serious look on his face. "I truly am sorry that I didn't tell you. I'm glad you are okay, and I give you my word that this won't happen again."

Nico's irritation was only building with each word that Hades spoke. He wanted to believe his father, but he also couldn't easily forgive him for this, especially since they were dealing with something that sounded so serious.

Hades grasped Nico's shoulder. "Take care son. I'm sure we'll talk again soon."

Nico watched as his father turned and began walking down the beach. Just as he disappeared within the night sky, Nico blinked hard.

When he opened his eyes, he felt an immense ache throughout his body. The lights in the "hospital" were way too bright and he had serious cottonmouth. He turned his head to the side—_ouch…_talk about horrible headaches—to try and spot some water. That was when he noticed the blonde leaning over the side of his bed.

Will was sitting in a chair, his torso inclined on the bed. He had Nico's left hand grasped in both of his as he leaned his head on his arms. He was fast asleep, but his brows were furrowed down in worry.

Nico swallowed thickly, trying to clear his throat, but it was too dry and he winced against the uncomfortable, painful sensation.

"Will," he croaked out, wiggling his fingers of his left hand.

Almost instantly, Will's eyes snapped open and he sat up, blinking multiple times as his eyes focused and his mind caught up to speed.

His eyes widened. "Nico!" he exclaimed. He stood up and moved closer to the dark-haired boy, keeping his left hand clutched onto Nico's. He immediately reached over to the bedside table and grabbed the glass of water sitting there.

Nico reached over with his right hand to take the glass but had to stop when he felt a tug on his hand. He glanced down and noted the needle sticking out of the top of his hand. He followed the tube with his eyes, slowly turning his head up to glance at the IV he was currently hooked up to.

"Be careful not to pull that out," Will advised quietly, drawing Nico's gaze again. "It will be a bitch to put back in."

Nico reached for the glass again, mindful of the IV needle, and gulped down the stagnant water. He sighed in relief, a soothing sensation in his throat.

As Will took the glass, Nico finally got a proper look at him. His blonde hair was in disarray, as if he'd been yanking at it and continuously running a hand through it. A worried expression graced his features and his posture was slouched, exhausted. His sky blue eyes were rimmed red.

"You've been crying," Nico noted with surprise, his voice rough and dry.

Will glared at him. "Yeah, well. You about gave me a heart attack."

Nico's brow furrowed. "What happened?"

Will frowned. "I'm not exactly sure about how you got here, but the patrol guards found you passed out at the bottom of the hill. You had a sword injury on your back but there was also poison in your system. Thankfully I was able to cure it."

He blinked at Will's explanation, but something he'd said must have triggered Nico's memory. He remembered leaving to the cities, following the ghosts, and…and getting attacked. By some demigod. The memory of his dream and his conversation with his father flooded his mind.

Nico frowned. "My father…he knew about the demigod. He knew about everything."

Confusion clouded Will's face. "What are you talking about?"

Nico then began to explain his dream and what had happened during his time trailing the ghosts, ending with his meeting with the rogue demigod and his plan to shadow travel back to camp with him.

"My father said he escaped…" Nico finished, brow still deep in consternation. "I don't know what's going on, but I have a feeling this won't be the last I'll hear of it."

Will bit his lip. He gave Nico's hand a reassuring squeeze. "You shouldn't worry about it right now. You just need to focus on getting better."

Nico felt his neck heat up at Will's affection. "How long have I been out?"

"Since you got here? About thirteen hours, give or take."

Nico blinked. "Oh. So…it's Christmas then."

Will smiled. "It is. But this does _not_ count as our Christmas celebration."

Nico rolled his eyes. "Of course not." He sighed, slowly sitting up. He winced at the tightness in his back. "You don't have to stay here with me, you know. You can go celebrate with everyone else."

Will immediately shook his head. "Not a chance. Nobody should be alone on Christmas. And besides…" He looked down at the bed, picking at some fuzz. "You really scared me. I-I thought…I didn't know if…"

Will couldn't even get the words out. His throat closed up whenever he thought about how close Nico had been to dying.

"I should have gone with you. I…I would have never forgiven myself if…if you…"

Nico's heart lurched out for Will. He felt an anguish build in him as he choked back the intense emotion he suddenly felt. He shook his head lightly. "You shouldn't worry about me so much. I'm not worth the trouble."

Will frowned. "What do you mean by that?" he asked, a hard, almost sarcastic edge to his voice.

Nico sighed, closing his eyes. It was easier if he didn't have to look at him. "I've been alone and on my own for most of my life. Whenever I start to care about someone, or someone gets close to me, they usually end up getting hurt. And besides that, people are always disgusted with me and my family," Nico continued bitterly. "We reek of death. People are _supposed_ to avoid us. For gods' sake, I can summon skeletons! All this pain…It's always been a problem for children of Hades—they live a life of loneliness."

Nico shook his head in disgust for himself. Will remained silent, watching him closely as he finished getting these feelings off his chest.

"I am worthless," Nico said in a low, heart-crushing tone. "I've done some horrible things in the past. People always get hurt around me, and I've seen too many people get hurt to let it continue. That's why I'm saying, Will Solace, that I am _not worth the trouble_." Nico's desperate gaze met Will's wide, blue eyes. "You should leave while you still can, because _I'll _never forgive myself if you get hurt because of me."

Silence stretched between the pair as Nico finished his rant. He felt a heavy pressure settle on his chest as his words sunk in around them. This was where Will would come to his senses and leave Nico, and Nico would try to live his life the best he could, keeping people at arms length. Like how it was suppose to be.

Finally, after a minute, Will sucked in a breath.

"Do you honestly believe that bullshit? I thought you were above that."

Nico's eyes widened. He snapped his gaze up sharply to Will, who looked angry, his face flushed red and his eyes light with fury.

"Wha—"

Will cut him off. "Don't you dare try to use that as an excuse. I know all about what people say—that Hades' children are cursed, that they're avoided because of their strange and unusual powers. Nico di Angelo, _I don't care_ that you can summon skeletons. I'm willing to bet you've done that to save your friends' lives, right?"

Nico was too speechless. He couldn't respond. He could only stare at the blonde before him, the blonde that was currently pulling down all the walls Nico had carefully placed around himself. They were crumbling before his eyes, all because of Will.

"You are _not _worthless. You are one of the strongest demigods I know. You're selfless and brave and trustworthy. I don't care what 'horrible things' you've done. I know who you are now, and I'm proud to call you my friend. And for the record," Will continued, "you're not alone. You have camp. You have Percy, and Annabeth, Jason, Piper, Frank, Reyna. Your half-sister. And now you have me, so get used to it, buddy. It's going to take a lot more than this to get rid of me."

With those words, the last wall crumbled away, and within a heartbeat, Nico grabbed Will and pulled him into a fierce hug. He held him as tight as he could, burying his face into Will's neck, pressing his lips against the side of his neck. He squeezed his eyes shut as years of pent up emotion came to the surface all at once. Tears leaked down his cheeks, falling onto Will's neck. Silent sobs wracked his body.

Will held him back just as tightly, wrapping his arms around Nico's small frame while remaining mindful of his injury. He swallowed thickly as he felt Nico's tears hit his skin.

He couldn't believe how much pain and sorrow Nico carried on his shoulders. It was unbelievable, and he wasn't about to let Nico continue this way. Will wanted Nico to trust him to carry some of that burden, to come to Will when he was feeling low. He wanted to be Nico's best friend, the person he could turn to for anything, anytime.

He wasn't just attracted to Nico, and he didn't just feel bad for him. He felt an honest connection between them. He understood how it felt to be lonely, to feel like the world was against you. Surely not to the same extent, but he'd had experiences of his own, and he remembered how awful they had made him felt. He didn't want Nico to ever feel like that again.

Will sighed. He pressed his face into Nico's hair, reveling in the feeling of his embrace. Nico's body was still shaking, but Will was content to just hold him. Nico would get this out of his system, and Will would stay by his side, where he was meant to be, no matter what.

* * *

><p>Will made Nico remain in the hospital for the next three days to ensure that his injury was healing properly. Nico groaned and griped that he'd rather be in his own cabin, but when Will threatened him with a week's stay—as he'd originally wanted—he immediately clammed up.<p>

For the most part, Will spent his time with Nico when he wasn't tending to his cabin and Nico wasn't sleeping (and gods did that kid sleep a lot). They would chat about anything and everything or play old board games Will found lying around the Big House (anything to help pass the time).

They didn't really discuss what had happened earlier, but there was an air of clarity between them that hadn't been there before. It felt lighter—happier. Will could sense that Nico was more relaxed around him than he'd been before. He smiled a little more, though mostly just to humor Will's silly antics and cheesy jokes. His eyes were lighter and he didn't flinch back or tense up whenever Will grabbed his hand or brushed the hair out of his eyes. In fact, he seemed to welcome it.

Seeing Nico happier…that made Will happier. There was still so much more Will wanted to learn about the di Angelo boy, but he relished in the fact that Nico was more open with him and wouldn't hold back so much.

As for Nico…well, he definitely felt a significant change in his emotions. He felt as if a house had been lifted from his shoulders. He could feel himself putting more and more trust in Will each day. A part of him was still scared that this would blow up in his face—it always had before—but something about Will's earlier words calmed him and kept him from doubting himself. He _wanted_ Will by his side. He _wanted _to trust him implicitly. It would take some time, but he was more than willing to work at it.

He could feel himself being pulled towards Will, as if the blonde were his own personal sun. With Will, he felt warmer, happier—he felt alive. He felt himself smiling more, and though he was still too scared and embarrassed to initiate any contact, he wasn't afraid to hold Will's hand when he offered it.

As the last day of Nico's incarceration—er, hospital stay…came to a close, Nico found himself lying on his side on the bed. Will was behind him, inspecting the injury that was already scarring over thanks to constant treatment and nectar and ambrosia.

Will poked around the scar. "Does that hurt?"

Nico winced. "When you jab your thumb in the center of it? Yeah, a little bit," he answered sarcastically.

"Cry baby," Will muttered. He ignored the glare Nico threw over his shoulder, his lips twitching as he fought off a smile.

He examined the injury a little more and poked and prodded for another minute before he finally sighed. "It's healing perfectly. You should still take it easy though," he tagged on, giving the back of Nico's head a sharp look.

As Will grabbed the bottom hem of Nico's shirt to pull it down, his warm fingers brushed against Nico's cool back, causing a shiver to run down the boy's back. Nico felt his face heat up as a warm feeling filled his chest.

Will blushed faintly. "S-sorry," he mumbled. He stumbled over to the coat hook by the front door and grabbed Nico's coat. As Nico stood up, hesitantly testing his limits, Will faced him fully, standing no less than two feet apart.

"Here," Will said, holding out the dark coat. "I wasn't able to salvage your shirt, but I took your coat to the Aphrodite cabin and they stitched it and cleaned it up. Free of charge," Will added on, grinning.

Nico blinked. "Thanks, Will," he said, genuinely touched. He hadn't expected Will to do that for him, so he was honestly and pleasantly surprised. He inspected the back of it and saw a faint, nearly imperceptible line of black stitching. Impressed, he hummed in acceptance and slid his arms through the sleeves.

"Now come on," Will smiled, grabbing Nico's hand to pull him gently through the door. "We have a Christmas to celebrate."

* * *

><p>Will dragged Nico down the pathway leading through the cabins. Nico knew this particular path well, seeing as it led to his own cabin.<p>

"Will, what are we doing?" Nico asked suspiciously. As they neared the darkly painted cabin, Nico glared at the offending Christmas lights still hanging from the roof. They glowed brightly in the evening sky along with all the other cabins' lights.

As they got closer, Nico could see through the dark curtains that the cabin lights were already on. He frowned. "Okay, what's going on?"

Will smiled knowingly. "I guess you'll just have to go in and see."

He stood back as Nico stepped up to the door, shooting Will a grimaced look. As he began opening the door, he could hear voices coming from inside. Thoroughly intrigued—and also every bit weary of who could be in _his_ cabin—he pushed the door open and stared at the scene before him.

Red and gold garland had been strung up around the cabin and a fake Christmas tree of average height had been placed in the center of the room. Sitting on the beds and on the floor were his friends: Percy and Annabeth, Jason and Piper, Reyna, Hazel and Frank. Even Coach Hedge was there, who was recalling his tail of defeating a monster to Frank while also eyeing the wrapping paper of some presents under the fake tree.

Everyone turned as Nico and Will stepped into the room. "Nico!"

Eyes wide and jaw dropped in surprise, the dark-haired boy could only blink and stutter out, "W-what—How did—"

Jason stepped forward, grasping Nico's shoulder. "Will Iris-messaged each of us and told us what happened and how you had missed celebrating Christmas with the rest of camp."

"We didn't want you to feel left out," Piper stepped up, smiling. "So we rushed home."

Nico was speechless. He glanced back at Will, who was giving him an innocent smile.

"Since we were already out west," Annabeth piped up, "we decided to pay the Romans a visit—"

"And we decided to come along," Hazel finished, smiling warmly at her brother. "And we wanted to make sure you were okay."

Nico glanced at all his friends, from Reyna who gave him a dry smile to Frank who looked thoroughly unimpressed with Coach Hedge's exaggerated story. He didn't know what to say. He couldn't describe the warm feeling that suddenly filled his body at seeing all of his friends who had literally dropped everything to make sure he was okay.

"I-I don't know what to say…" Nico stuttered. "I guess…Thanks guys. You didn't have to."

Annabeth smiled. "You're our friend, Nico. Of course we had to. We _wanted_ to."

Nico gave her a small smile. He was glad their friendship had remained after he had confessed his feelings for her boyfriend. In fact, it seemed as if they were closer now, a sort of understanding between them.

Suddenly, Percy clapped his hands. "Well all right then!" he exclaimed, grinning like dork. "Let's get this Christmas party going!"

And with that, chatter broke out among them as they passed around desserts and drinks. Music played lightly in the background. Jason gave Nico's shoulder another squeeze and offered him a warm smile before joining his girlfriend among the group.

Nico smiled at this friend, who seemed more relaxed now that he had gotten through meeting Piper's dad.

He then turned to face the culprit of this whole operation.

"So is this what you were doing whenever you left?" Nico asked, raising a brow and giving a wry smile. "Organizing a Christmas with our friends?"

Will grinned. "Pretty much." His smile became more serious, as did his tone, as he asked, "So, do you like it?"

Nico glanced at his laughing friends. He relished the warm feeling in his cabin. It felt right, being with all the people he cared about.

"I love it."

At his response, Will smiled brightly, the type of smile that lifted Nico's spirits and made him feel warm. Feeling bold, Nico slipped his hand into Will's warm, tan one. His heart thundered loudly in his chest and his face flushed, but he didn't let go. As Will grinned at him, giving his hand a reassuring squeeze, Nico knew didn't _want _to let go. Ever.

So maybe things this year had turned out differently than he planned. He certainly didn't think he'd land himself in the middle of an attempt to overthrow the Underworld, and he was weary that the situation would only get worse. But he tried not to think too deeply on that.

All that mattered was that Nico had finally found some acceptance. He finally let someone through his carefully built walls and exposed himself for what he was. He'd never felt such strong emotion from someone. He never expected that he would feel so strongly for another person and to have his feelings reciprocated. Normally, he'd spend Christmas by himself, moping around in his misery while everyone enjoyed themselves. It was what he was used to. But, looking at his friends, and looking at the boy beside him, pressed against his side, he was glad to spend his Christmas this way. In fact…

It was better.

* * *

><p><strong>And that's it! Merry belated Christmas!<strong>

**Notes:**

**1. First off, I love love LOVE Solangelo. They are seriously up there with Percabeth and ApolloThalia. They give me so much inspiration to write! **

**2. On that note, I've decided I will write a collection of Solangelo one-shots that sort of tie together. I already have a couple in mind, so we'll see how they turn out ;)**

**3. I purposely left the whole "Underworld overthrow" plot open because I may or may not write a story about that (with Solangelo of course). It's definitely crossed my mind, but for now I'm not going to worry about it. **

**So yeah! I had a lot of fun writing this. My favorite part was definitely when Nico and Will have their moment in the "hospital." I choked myself up writing it. **

**Thanks for reading and remember to review!**

**-Akatsuki Child**


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